The Boys & I
by CharmMe4You
Summary: The dragons attack from the sky during the tournament. Lucy finds herself alone with the survivors- Natsu, Gray, Rogue and Sting, each of whom like her in their own, special way. Who will she choose? Pairing undecided (depends on readers).
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for giving this story a chance! It's my fairytail baby. Bear with my author's note, will you please?**

**I know, I know, I haven't been updating my other stories. Thing is, I've been really really busy of late. Well, that's not entirely true… OKAY! I HAVE NO INSPIRATION TO WRITE, OKAY? And you all know what happened the last time I had no inspiration. The chapter turned out horrible and had to be replaced. I promise you, I will try my best to get some inspiration soon, alright? **

**And regarding my other fairytail story… I honestly have no idea how to continue. I am so sorry. I'm still thinking things through. I will definitely continue it, because your reviews have really really encouraged me and I am going to do this for you guys!**

**Anyway, for NEW READERS, hi there! I have to say, I'm not a professional writer, and I know my writing's not perfect, so I'm apologising here. Please bear with me. I hope you'll enjoy my story though! It'll get better! **

**If I have to disclaim anything, I disclaim it now. This is a fanfic so obviously… you get the point (I hope)!**

**Right, for this story, I'm trying out this new writing style I've only done with one of my dramione stories. I'm not totally happy about it right now, but I figure I'll improve as the story progresses. As usual, I don't plan my stories, but I've done some research on the characters and stuff for this story (something I **_**never**_** do) so I hope it has a little more depth to it. Feel free to point out anything you think I can improve on, but please don't be too harsh on me (thank you)! **

**I'm just going to jump into the story so I hope you guys are familiar with the characters and stuff. A few minor changes here. The beginning may be a little slow though, because I'm trying to lay out the setting in as un-wishy-washy a way as possible. **

**Okay! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Preface**

The days blur. Here, there is no telling what the date is, nor how many days have passed. The sun is merciless, and sometimes, I'd wish for rain, but without proper drainage, the rain would the area, destroying our camps and threatening to drown or tear us apart. This I know from experience.

It is all debris here. We are trudging through debris- the remnants of what used to be a bustling town.

I keep telling myself it's all but a horrid nightmare, and I'd wake up in a bit to find myself in my room, with food and sweet drinks in my fridge, and clean water in my bathroom. I'd put on my white blouse and blue skirt, grab my keys and leave for the guild where I'd see them all- Mira behind the bar counter, Cana drinking on the table, Master and a few other boys eyeing the girls and Erza arm-wrestling the men while eating a strawberry cheesecake with her other hand.

No, I'll never wake up from this.

"Water." Natsu croaks from beside me, his throat parched, voice rusty from disuse.

I look up questioningly, and see that his head has perked up instead of the hanging down.

"I smell water." He says again, and points ahead of us slightly to the left. "There."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

He nods, and we pick up our pace, both excited at the prospect of water. There is no vegetation in these parts, so water is very hard to come by.

Several minutes later, I see what he has been talking about. The ceiling of an underground cave has caved in, leaving a hole Natsu's broad shoulders barely fit through as he dives in feet first with a whoop.

There's a soft thud, and his voice calls out to me, telling me to hurry.

I sit at the edge of the hole, hoping it won't cave in further, and push myself in.

He catches me, his warm strong arms wrapping themselves tightly around me, before putting me down.

"Look." He whispers, and I look.

It is an underground reservoir.

Without another word, we're both running to the edge, lapping greedily at the water and not caring if it is actually potable. Eventually, we end up going into the water altogether, splashing ourselves and at each other, laughing. His pink hair has grown out and stuck to his face, the ends of them just touching his shoulders. I've not seen him this happy since… I don't know when.

It is with shock that I notice a bright light glowing from deep in the water. It's a blue glacier-like orb. Only, it's about the size of my head.

"What's that?" I point out.

He submerges himself fully, and comes back out of the water with a strange look in his eyes.

"Well, what is it?"

"It seems to be a block of ice or something like that."

"Ice floats." I say. This thing was at the bottom of the pool.

"I know. Weird thing is, there's something trapped inside. I think it's a person." He says unsurely, looking at me for an answer as to what we should do.

I bite my lip and think.

"Well, if it _is_ a person, I say we rescue him. If not, we run. I don't think I have enough energy to open any of the celestial gates."

"Alright. You refill the bottles," He replies, handing me his make-shift bottle which I had crafted out of several thick waxy leaves when we'd walked through a forest. "I'll try to bring that thing up."

Before I can tell him to be careful, he dives, this time to the depths of the pool, and my gaze follow his head of pink hair, counting, in my head.

Quickly, I pull myself ashore and begin to refill the five bottles we have.

Sixty seconds have passed, I think, and he is still at the bottom.

"Natsu!" I shout, although I doubt he can hear me. "Just come back up!"

Suddenly, I see that the water's surface is beginning to ripple. The ground beneath me starts to tremble, and there is a growing rumble from deep underground.

"Natsu!" I shout again, starting to panic.

Hang on, are my eyes playing tricks on me, or is that glowing blue orb _growing_?!

I blink and splash some water onto my face.

It _is_ growing! No! It's moving upward! And it's taking Natsu with it!

I watch, frozen, as it gets bigger and bigger, and then with the sound of water cascading from its top, it surfaces, with Natsu sitting atop.

The rumbling and trembling has stopped. It is, indeed, made of ice, and there is the silhouette of a human inside.

"Look what I found, Lucy!" Natsu cries gleefully, "Underwear-boy!"

I look carefully at the figure inside, and as my eyes become accustomed to the glow of the ice from underwater, I make out a long, lithe body with a shock of dark blue hair. Gray. And he _is_ in nothing but his underwear.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

There's a rustling from the bush nearby.

I leave the fire and hurry to the mouth of the cave behind the bush as Natsu and Rogue appear.

"Anything?" I ask, although I can tell what their answers are from the downcast look on their faces.

They shake their heads and we fall silent.

"Smells good." Natsu finally says, "Is it ready?"

I know he's desperately trying to escape the sadness and anxiety of the situation, so I put on a smile on my face.

"It is." I say proudly. "I even flavoured it the way Rogue taught me to. It's… fish, though. I couldn't catch anything."

Their plastered smiles falter for a moment, but they put it back on again. They hate fish, because it reminds them of their missing Exceed.

"I'm sorry, I'll try harder next time-"

"It's alright, Lucy." Natsu cuts me off, and moves off, accompanied by Rogue who gives me another assuring smile.

I know it's not alright.

This is our camp. The terrain has been sculpted by the four boys, under my supervision, of course- I did get an A for geography. Ever since the day the dragons attacked and destroyed the country, we've been on the run, mainly from the invasion of Ragastine, a neighbouring country. They are trying to get their hands on anything they can get, and I suspect that would include Dragon Slayers as well. Anyway, our camp is but a small piece of land surrounded by hills. Half of it is covered by a cave and the other half left exposed so the smoke from our fires doesn't get trapped. There is also a drainage system designed and built by Gray himself. The only way out of here is via the cave behind the bushes which winds its way through the hills in what would seem like a labyrinth to outsiders. We've left enough ghostly rumours in the town nearby for us to be left alone, and there are several forests nearby from which we tap our resources. This is the edge of what used to be the Kingdom of Fiore, and from the town onward, it is Ragastine.

I begin to climb my way up the rough steps one of the boys had cut out in the side of a hill, and carefully balance myself on the top of the hill, although the tops of the hills are relatively flat and broad. The hills are impossible to climb from the other side because of rocky outcrops we've left on purpose, so if I fall, it would probably be the end.

He's sitting there, huddled into himself, at the very edge of the top of the hill, his blonde hair gathered at the base of his neck in a ponytail.

"Dinner's ready." I say quietly, but there's no response.

I walk behind him so that I am now on his left, and when he makes no move to cover the spot next to him, I take a seat beside him, crossing my legs.

He always comes up here when I cook fish.

"Is it Lector?" I ask. He never answers, though.

Tonight, he tilts his head a little towards the sky, so that the sword-like metal earring his has attached to his left ear glints in the light of the full moon, as does the glossy sheen of unshed tears in his dark eyes.

"You know," He says out of the blue, his voice hoarse, "Minerva said he was alive. He could be out there, somewhere, just waiting for me to save him." He pauses to collect himself. "Thing is, I don't know where to start or what to do to find him."

I don't know what to say, so I touch his arm lightly, and I find that it's cold.

He looks up at my touch, his eyes boring into mine, troubled; wounded. His eyes are fascinating. They are both dark, but this close to him and under the light of the moon, I can see that his right eye is a deep, rich purple, and his left eye is a blue a shade darker than sapphire.

I rub his arm and try to warm him up, but the wind up here is strong, and the fur of his jacket is thinning.

"We'll find him together, the five of us, when Gray comes back."

He looks down where his hands are hanging limply from where his elbows are resting on his knees.

"That is, _if_ he comes back."

I frown.

"He will. Gray always comes back." This, I truly believe.

He gives me a sad smile, unconvinced, and makes to stand up.

"Where are you going?" I ask, to which he answers, "Dinner's ready, isn't it?"

Watching him walk away so strongly and knowing he's writhing in pain on the inside is hurting me as much as it's hurting him, and before I know it, I've run up and hugged him from behind.

He stiffens, then eases, and I feel his cool, muscled arms over mine.

"Thank you, Lucy." He says, and when I let him go, he offers me a hand down the stairway where Rogue and Natsu have already finished their meal and are eyeing our portions.

* * *

I wake up.

Opening my eyes, I see that it's still dark outside. I sleep furthest into the cave- something about the most vulnerable member being the least exposed. I roll my eyes.

In front of me are the sleeping figures are Natsu, Sting and Rogue. I wonder when Gray'll come back. He's been missing for a week now, I think. I've only been to the town a few times because it's not safe to be there, and during those times, I'd gotten the date. It's been about five months since the dragons attacked. Natsu and I found Gray about a month later, I'm guessing, and Sting and Rogue found us another few days later. We had been travelling towards the boarder since then, and we've been camping here for 2 months already, settling down and gathering information; waiting for a sign to move and for a purpose in life. So much we treasured was taken away from us so suddenly. We don't really know what to do now.

I tread my way through the sleeping bodies. Natsu sleeps on his back with his arms splayed out. Today, his mouth is wide open and there's a silly grin on his face. Sting's sleeping like a log-literally, except, he's on his side and not back. Rogue, on the other hand, curls into a ball when he sleeps, and he has to have his back to a wall. It's a little funny seeing his raven hair all over the place, because he's the vainest of us all, and he's hair is always neat and styled. He has even brought along his comb because it had been in his pocket when the dragons attacked.

I crawl through the tunnels leading out of camp with a knapsack, and make my way through the debris, towards the nearest forest. It's not a thick forest and it's brimming with life. There's a spring in which I go to.

I strip down and summon Aquarius, who is more than happy to stir the water up- with me in it. The force of the water washes my body, but I wonder if she's actually trying to kill me.

I end up at the edge of the spring gasping for air.

"And that'll teach you to treat me as a bath-servant. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll just be going back to my- _boyfriend_. Have you a boyfriend yet, Lucy?" Here, she bursts into giggles. "Why, how silly of me. Of course you don't."

And with that, she disappears before I can recover from the whirlpool she'd set me in.

I'm about to get out of the water when I hear the breaking of twigs some distance away.

"W- Who's there?" I cry, willing my voice not to tremble, then slap my forehead. I just _had_ to announce my presence.

"Lucy?"

I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Natsu! You scared me!"

More breaking of twigs, and I can tell he's sprinting here.

"Wait! Natsu, stop-"

And he bursts through the bushes into the clearing with the spring I'm in.

The spring's deep enough to cover my chest, but the water's as clear as day, and there is this stunned, awkward moment of silence.

"I'll just turn around." He says quickly, his face turning red, just like my face, and he turns and plops himself on the ground.

Hurriedly, I change, facing him so I'd know if he's peeking. He doesn't peek.

"I'm dressed." I finally say, and he turns around sheepishly.

Natsu has changed. He would laugh and make fun of me in the past in such a situation, but the attack and the invasion has changed him, just like it has changed us all. I can't see him as a boy now, despite some of the childish antiques he still likes to retain. No, he's a… man. Besides, his physique has changed too. He has grown a head taller than me, and his shoulders are broader now.

"What are you doing here so early?" I ask.

"I… had a dream."

"A good dream, or a bad one?"

He exhales, and breathes in deeply again.

"A good one. Of the guild. When we were rebuilding the guild."

Ah, the problem with good dreams was the waking up.

He turns his face sharply to the left, and pretends to look at something, but I know he's trying to hide his tears- the few drops of them, which come out only from his left eye nowadays.

I step forward and take him in a hug, although he's so much taller than me now it doesn't really feel as maternal-ish as it used to be.

He hugs me back and leans into me slightly, and I feel two hot drops of water splash onto the top of my head. I rub his back soothingly, and say softly to him, "You still have me, Natsu. And all of us back at camp."

We stay like this for a while, each taking comfort from the other.

He sniffs the air and pulls back, and I let him. He's looking anywhere but at me, though.

"Lucy, you… your…"

"What?"

"I can smell… that. Thing. Every month…" He trails off.

"Oh." That time of the month. "WHAT?! You collect some fruits for breakfast! I'll be back at camp soon!"

I dash off back to camp, where Rogue and Sting are already awake and resolutely not looking at me (their sense of smell is really annoying!) and fetch the bandages before going back into the forest to- uh- take care of the problem.

When I come back, the three of them are already halfway through their share of breakfast. We've collected breakfast for Gray as usual, in case he comes back, but the three of them eat it after some time because they don't want an extra reminder of Gray's absence.

It's chilly in the morning, and I stick to Natsu for warmth.

"I'll go hunting today. Sting, you guard camp. You two go scouting." Rogue says when the sun begins to rise.

It must be a Friday today. Fridays are always busy for the town nearby, although it's just a small one because it's so far from the capital, so I'm put to good use working at the bar and gathering information.

At seven, Natsu and I leave the camp for the town. The plan was for me to find a job at one of the restaurants and for him to do the groceries, deliver them to camp then come back for me.

The day passes and nothing much happens except for a couple of guys who tried to ask me out, all the while keeping their eyes below my face. Towards the end of the day, however, a few burly men I haven't seen around before appeared in the bar. Soldiers, by their uniforms.

"Hey you!" One of them hollers at me, "Over here!"

Obediently, I go towards them, ready to ask them for their order.

"Beer!" They demand, looking at my chest, and I try to hide myself.

"What's your name?" One of them leers, and puts his arm around my waist, his hands on my hip.

"Tink." I say, wriggling out of his grasp and staying away from it.

"Hang on, I haven't seen you around these parts."

"I- I don't come out much."

"A traveller?"

I nod, meeting his eyes meekly.

The suspicion in his eyes gradually melts away, and I'm not too sure I like what's replacing it.

"Why don't you stay the night with us?"

"S- Sorry, sir, but I have to return to work."

"Come on, just one night! We'll give you a good time. And we'll pay! Don't you know who we are?"

"Tink!" The boss calls out. He's a very nice man.

"Sorry, but I've got to go back to work." I say again, and scurry off before they can call me back.

Strange. Soldiers? This far from the capital? It's not normal for Ragastine to be guarding its borders. It's a country that cares only for its capital.

And then, I hear something that makes me freeze.

"He escaped from the capital but we caught him here. _I_ caught him." One of the soliders say.

"Bullocks!" Another scoffs, "You did nothing but put his hands behind his back and lead him to the cell!"

"Hey I-"

"How _did_ he escape the capital's dungeons?!" The third asks before the first can deliver a retort.

The first bites back his retort, and restores his all-important air.

"They put him in one of those ordinary prisons, you know? Thought he was a common-boy trying to steal from the soldiers for the rebels. Turns out he was a wizard! An ice-make wizard to boot. He made a key of ice and broke himself out. In the town prison now, waiting to be sent back to the capital. I'm just glad I'm not one of those wizard-guards watching over him all night."

"Must be here for a purpose. Do you suppose there's something here that could get us a promotion?"

"Quiet! You don't want others hearing you! Let's discuss this somewhere else."

And with that, they changed the topic of their conversation.

An ice-make wizard…

I excuse myself from the bar and pretend I'm going to the public toilet nearby.

"Nat!" I whisper. "Nat, where are you?"

"Here!" A voice says from in an alley, and he sticks his face out into the light momentarily for me to see him.

Checking that there's no one around, I hurry towards the pitch darkness of the alley, and a pair of arms pull me in to rest against a toned, hot body.

He's looking down at me, and as my eyes adjust to the lack of light, I can barely make out his features. His eyes, however, burn through the darkness, bold and intense. His eyes are normally black, but in this darkness, they are an eerie, transparent green. They are so clear I feel as if I can look right into his heart just staring into them. It's a trait that helps him see better in the dark.

"You're cold." He says, and heat begins to exude from his arms and hands, which are wrapped around me.

I sigh contentedly, and resist the urge to close my eyes and let my head lean against his shoulder.

"They've got Gray. The soldiers."

The green eyes blink once, and burn brighter than ever.

"Then we'll get him back."

**There we go- the beginning. I'm working on chapter 2 already. **

**As usual, I'd like to say reviews encourage me. I've already started with the next chapter and I'll try to finish it up soon. Of course, only review if you feel this story deserves a review. I would like to hear from you- what you think of the story, if I should continue and where you'd like the story to go… stuff like that. **

**NOTE: Lucy with Natsu, Gray, Sting and Rogue. I haven't decided on the pairing and I think I'll be deciding via votes. That's right. In one of the chapters, I'll ask you guys to vote for one of the guys! This is all tentative, of course, because if anyone manages to convince me now, I'll probably just decide on it without the voting. There's still another mystery character I hope you'll all love! He'll be appearing in chapter 2, hopefully. There, I gave you guys a hint. A very, very subtle hint (; **

**Alright! I shall talk no more! I hope to hear from you and I'll keep my author's notes in the next chapters short and succinct! **

**Thanks again, everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Thank you so much for your response to chapter 1! I am so truly, deeply grateful for your reviews and favourites and follows, and I thank you so much for taking the time to make my day. **

**Your response has prompted me to stay up and write chapter 2 for you, so here it is, very very early, and just for you. I'd normally reply to reviews, but I'm a little busy at the moment, and writing this chapter has already taken a good bit of time that should have been used for other pressing matters, so I'm sorry, but I won't be able to reply your reviews this time! I have, though, read through each review at least three times and taken note of your usernames! Thank you!**

**Enjoy! **

**P.S. I rushed this out for you guys, so I'm not too happy with my writing style in this chapter, sorry. Do look past any imperfection you find, thank you!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"Your drinks, sir." I say and lay the cups of alcohol on the table. They always remind me of Cana, although she drinks from _barrels_, not cups.

"You sure you don't want to spend the night with us?" One of the soldiers say, his words a little slurred.

I put on a show and let myself appear to be deliberating.

"Will I… will I get to see the prisons?"

"Prisons? Now I'm not too-"

"I've always wanted to see the prisons! To see where all those baddies you heros catch are put! Especially the most dangerous of baddies waiting to be sent back to the capital!"

I slap myself mentally. Sent _back_ to the capital? Why did I include the word 'back'?!

Luckily, they don't seem to read too much into anything, and give me proud grins that make me shiver in disgust. Heros, my ass.

"Alright, we'll show you the prisons. Come on, little girly."

"But my shift ends in-"

"This way."

And I'm shoved harshly out of the door, only just catching the disgusted look on my boss's face.

We walk the distance to the prison, and I try my best to avoid their hands. The prison is an underground one, marked only by a small rectangular building with wrought iron doors which part for us.

I look behind just before I'm pushed through the doorframe. There's nothing and no one outside but shadows. One of these shadows, I know, hides Natsu.

I distract the soldiers by running forward into the stairway that leads downstairs so Natsu can sneak in. It doesn't work, however. Only two of them follow me. The third stays behind to close the door because there are no other guards around to close it.

The prison is unguarded at this level.

I'm starting to feel uneasy, and being underground is not the main cause of this feeling.

We descend, and come to a stop in front of one of the cell with iron bars criss-crossed in front of it. There are guards stationed here and they bow to the soldiers who are with me.

Discreetly, I pluck out a strand of hair and let it fall on the ground for Natsu to follow my scent- that is, _if_ he actually got in.

We weave our way through a maze of cells until we finally reach a row where the cell doors are not made of bars but thick blocks of iron. The locks are only on one of side of the door, and there's a tiny window to peep through when wanting to view the captive. More guards here.

"This fellow," The soldier with his hand around my waist says as we stop by a cell, "Is a dangerous fellow. I caught him."

As he proceeds to tell the tale of the capture of this dangerous fellow, I peer through and see that it is not Gray but an aggressive looking man sleeping on the hard stone ground.

"What's there?" I say quickly when he pauses for breath, and flounce to the next door.

The three of them follow me immediately, all eyes drawn to my chest.

"Now, now-" They begin to say, but I flounce over to the third door when I see another unfamiliar man in the second cell.

The third cell holds Gray. I can tell by his blue hair- although it is drenched with blood- and the fairytail mark on his chest.

He is only wearing his pants, and what is exposed of his body is covered with wounds. Whips. Each of his arms are chained to opposing walls and his feet are barely supporting his weight on the floor. His head is bent so I can't see his face, but I can hear his ragged breaths echoing in the cell.

"Girly, why-"

"Can we go in? We could… don't you think it would be exciting to be doing it in front of the prisoner?" I say shyly, and avoid their stunned gazes.

"G- Get the keys, Fred." One of them responds, urgency in his voice, and comes towards me with a hungry look in his eyes. I can only pray Natsu really got in, but if he didn't, perhaps I could try summoning Virgo.

The two other soldiers are in front of me and their breaths stink of alcohol. I pretend to enjoy their teasing words and touches but my discomfort is quite apparent.

Suddenly, they are ripped from me and I watch as they are flung like ragdolls into the wall. Two loud cracks resonate through the place and they pass out.

Natsu is grinning in front of me, the yellow light of the lamps reflected in his green-tinted coal black eyes. Around him are the limp bodies of guards who have passed out silently.

"Did you kill them?!" I screech, jumping at the volume of my voice.

"They're alive! Relax. Now let's get going before reinforcements come." He replies somewhat nonchalantly, though I can still hear enthusiasm in his voice, and he holds a key up.

As he unlocks the door, I look into the small window, and I see that Gray has lifted his head, revealing a bruised, bleeding face. He squints at me with his two swollen eyes.

"Lucy?" He rasps, then whimpers.

With a clang, the door opens.

On the floor are blood stains.

"What did they do to you?!" I whisper, horrified, and he grimaces.

Natsu applies intense heat at certain areas of Gray's hand cuffs then breaks the cuffs altogether.

I try to support Gray, but when second cuff breaks, his weight is too much for me, and we fall onto the ground together.

Natsu picks Gray up gently and makes to piggyback Gray. I can see by his clenched teeth that Gray is still in pain.

"Don't lose consciousness." I tell him, and we set off, making our way speedily back to camp.

* * *

"Soldiers?! I don't like the sound of that." Sting grumbles, crossing his arms with a frown on his face.

"They'll come sooner or later. Should we move?" Rogue says, leaning against the wall.

We are in the open area of camp now, and I'm busy creating fire from the twigs Rogue had collected and the new lighter Natsu had bought. Natsu is guzzling the fire greedily.

I look up and see the moon looking down on us. It's not as full as it was yesterday.

Move? But this camp… this has sort of become home for us. "Where can we go?"

At this moment, Gray hobbles out of the cave, holding on to the crevices in the walls.

"I don't know, but we _have_ to move. They know we're alive, and they know we're here. They're coming for us- the rulers of Ragastine."

There is nothing but silence- a heavy, depressing silence that weighs on us all. Even Natsu has stopped eating and tensed.

"I didn't tell them anything." Gray continues, wincing as his knee gives way for a split-second. We all hurry to him and help him into a sitting position.

A wave of giddiness overwhelms me, and for a moment, I see blackness. Then, there's a terrifying image of a lion right before me with its jaws open in a deafening roar. The roar dies down, and I'm staring into its deep hazel-brown eyes. Intelligent eyes.

"I'm coming, Lucy." A familiar voices whispers by my right ear, and suddenly, I find myself leaning against Rogue. All eyes are on me.

What- what was that?!

As I recover from the shock, I become aware of their concerned looks at me.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." I say, and stand on my own two feet, thanking Rogue. "What else do you have?" I ask Gray to change the subject.

The boys snap into focus.

"They don't know our exact whereabouts, but a hundred thousand men have been dispatched and are on their way here now." Gray says, then his voice softens a little. "At the capital dungeons… I'm not too sure, but I thought caught a glimpse of Gajeel. And Wendy. They were in ordinary cells though, but they looked a little beaten up."

Natsu jumps happily and I feel a smile coming.

"They're alive!" Natsu sings repeatedly as Sting and Rogue stand awkwardly where they are, unsure of what to do or feel.

"We'll need to move nearer to the capital if we want to rescue them." I say, heart full of hope.

Gray's expression remains stoic.

"I'm not too sure if we can rescue them. It was pure luck I managed to escape. The capital's dungeons are full of strong wizards and heavily guarded."

"How did you escape then?" Rogue asks.

"I made a key with my ice and managed to leave the cell after which I found a secret passage that led to one of the upper floors. Then, I created a channel of ice to slide down from. Of course, everyone saw me. Then I ran like a madman and it just so happened there was an attack from the rebels that day, which distracted them. They caught me here because… It was a hot day, so I stripped and they saw my fairytail mark." He ended off sheepishly.

We all sigh. Typical Gray. Who knew his stripping would one day lead to his capture?

"We have, at most, two days to get out of here." Gray concluded.

"We're all exhausted." I say. "Let's go to sleep. We'll plan tomorrow."

They all nod, and we clear our dinners, Natsu eating the flame to extinguish it. It's a cloudy night, so we can't really see well. At least Gray and I can't see well due to the dim lighting, so we fumble around until the others come to us to guide us through the darkness- Rogue to me, Sting to Gray. Natsu is still licking the embers hoping to get more fire.

"I guess Gray'll sleep further in the cave tonight; with me." I say, but immediately, three loud protests ring throughout the camp.

"But I wanna-" Gray starts, but Sting cuts him off.

"Gray'll sleep with me. I can look out for him."

The other two slayers voice their agreement, and I vaguely hear Gray saying something, but it sounds muffled, as if Sting is covering Gray's mouth.

I laugh at their silliness and feel around for my blanket, which Rogue passes to me. He tucks me in, and bids me a good night before he goes to his usual place by the wall.

All's quiet, and I try to rest my tired self, but my mind is whirling and whizzing.

They're coming for us. They know we're alive. But how? Just because they saw Gray? And Gajeel and Wendy! What if their identities were revealed? Surely their fairytail mark would be exposed sooner or later…

A moment later, I find myself waking up.

Did I fall asleep?!

I open my eyes but the moon is still behind the clouds and it is too dark for me to see anything. With my eyes still open, I try to figure what has awoken me, and it is then that I noticed something warm and soft yet firm pressed against my back. Someone has pressed my behind to his front and put an arm over my waist, his other arm under my neck. I know it's a 'he' because of the way his body is structured- and it is a very nice body, from what I can feel- and his breathing is heavy and deep and brushing against my hair. He is asleep.

Who is he? Who could have passed through the guards of the four boys unscathed?

His scent is familiar and brings a sense of peace in me. I take deep breaths of it, indulging myself.

"Lucy?" The man whispers softly, his lips brushing against my ear.

That voice! It's… it's _so_ familiar.

"Lucy, you're awake, aren't you?" The voice whispers again, and this time, the image of that lion with hazel eyes surfaces in my mind. The same voice!

"L-Loke?"

"Shh…" He hushes me, and I squirm about to face him. "Don't wake the others."

"Loke? Is that you? I- I've missed you so much!"

I take him into a huge hug and bury my face in his shoulder to hide the sobs that would wake the others. The arm that was over my waist is now across my back, and his hand is in my hair, stroking gently in a way that brings tingles down my spine.

"Is your training finished?" I ask, careful to keep my volume down.

I can feel the movements of his toned body as he nods, and he says "Yes. I rushed it for you."

Loke had been trying to advance his magical ability since he had returned to the spirit word, but the normal training required an entire spirit year, which would take 91 human years to complete. He had entered into a special mode of training which would take half the time but was five times as difficult to endure. When the dragons had attacked, he had been in the spirit world. Upon learning of the attack, however, he had offered to undergo the training of greatest difficulty which would take about two spirit days. There were setbacks, though. I could only summon a single spirit for a few minutes within that time and my magical energy would deplete daily because it would be used for his training.

"There's more. Capricorn started his training a long time ago, and he's finishing it in about two spirit days. That's six more months here."

I smile.

"That's great." I murmur into his shirt, still breathing in his sweet rich scent.

"Go back to sleep, Lucy. There are still three hours until daylight."

"I don't think I can sleep. I'm so happy now, and what if this is all a dream?"

He chuckled.

"It's not a dream, silly. I'm back for good."

"The lion I saw in my mind- was that you?"

"You saw that?" He asked incredulously, stiffening slightly.

"Mhmm."

He relaxed and I can hear a smile in his voice as he says, "I must be stronger than I think."

"How is Aries?"

"She's good." He answers casually.

"Are you two…"

"Of course not! I know better than to fall in love with someone I'll be seeing for a long time to come. What if we break up?! Of course, she may have fallen for my charms."

I laugh softly.

"What if she's the one, and you don't break up?"

"Nah, she's not the one. I would know. Besides, I like to avoid break ups. Don't you know it's a trait of Leos to be all soppy and emotional over break ups?"

"How do you know she's not the one?" I insist.

"She's not." He says, and whatever argument I had in mind fizzles out at the tone of his voice. It is hard to doubt him.

Suddenly, I realize the very intimate position we're in, clinging to each other. It's not like me to feel this way, nor does my face normally feel hot when I'm hugging Loke. He's always been there for me; always been like this with me.

Well, not _always_… in fact, never. I don't know what had compelled me to hug him in the first place.

"You're heating up." He comments, a mischievous edge to his voice.

"So what did you have to do for training?" I quickly say, and for the next half an hour, I listen as he tells me about his meditation, his journeys over beautiful hills and valleys and moors in the spirit world, and the physical and emotional pain he had been put through to get to the ultimate stage of spirituality which would enable him to unleash his maximum potential as the star and leader of the zodiac.

When he ends of his adventures to which I listen enraptured, we are silent for a while, each fully soaking in the presence of each other. There's something deeper between us now. I don't know what it is, but it is there, and I've only just realized it.

"Want to see my new abilities?" he finally asks.

"Yes." I reply.

We tip top out of the cave and I lead him through the tunnel and into the safety of the forest.

"This is where I come every morning to wash up. Aquarius cleans me." I say proudly, pointing at the spring.

"I'll clean you from now on, Princess." He winks, and I quickly turn away from him to hide my blush, and sit at the edge of the spring, dipping my legs in the water. The cold of the water dispels the thoughts that had crept into my mind at his insinuation.

"Alright, look here. This is my new form." He announces, and I look.

He is glowing in that golden way each spirit does when it first appears, but he doesn't disappear back into the spirit world. No, instead, his figure changes a little. The glow is only momentary, and upon blinking, I find myself looking at… this new form of Loke.

I try not to giggle.

As usual, his orange-yellow hair is styled the same way as a lion's mane, but it has grown longer and now looks a tad shaggy, giving him a bit of a rough edge. He's in his black suit as well, and his pants show off his long legs. What surprises me are the two ear-like tufts of hair that are on his head which resemble cat ears. His eyes are darker too, so that they are now almost a mahogany brown, but the shine is them is as bright as it has always been. He makes a turn and I see the funniest thing sticking out of the clothes. A tail. A lion's tail.

I snort in my attempt to keep myself from laughing, because he's trying his best to keep his cool demeanour, but he is just too cute to be cool.

"Helps with the balance." He says, referring to the tail and ignoring my snort. "And these," He points sadly at the tufts of hair that look like cat-ears, "Just sprout out of nowhere. I can't help it." He makes a sad face, then brightens up. "They increase the sensitivity of my hearing though."

As he speaks, I see that his teeth are a little different too. His canine teeth protrude a little, making him look a little like a vampire. A really cute vampire.

I pursue my lips to refrain myself from saying anything, but he shoots a glare at me anyway.

"I am _not cute_!" He exclaims indignantly.

"I- I didn't say anything!"

"Your face screams it."

"Your pout is cute too…" I mumble, then remember he has more acute hearing in this form. Opps.

"Let's see if I'm cute in _this_ form!" He says, and he begins to glow again.

This time, his figure changes entirely, and I feel my body tense in fear as I find myself staring right into the hazel eyes of a lion- a fully grown lion with sharpened claws and fangs and all.

It growls, and I feel the earth before me loosen at the sound. Its eyes are playful, though, and they remind me that this… this scary scary beast is actually Loke. My Loke.

Then, as I'm cowering in the presence of such a majestic beast, there's a faint 'pop' and suddenly, the lion is gone, replaced by a tiny, cute, adorable little lion cub.

It is still in the exact menacing stance the fully grown lion had been, and it is _still_ growling at me, eyeing fiercely with its brown eyes when suddenly, it pounces and lands right on me so that I fall to my side and then back, with its face inches from mine.

"Loke!" I gush, "You're too cute!"

And I envelop the little cub in a hug.

It makes a sort of weird bark and tries to wriggle out of my grasp in what I think is meant to be an intimidating gesture, but I hug it tight and start to pet and stroke it, and soon, it melts in my arms, and starts purring as it rubs its furry face against mine.

"Oh you cute little thing." I can't help saying.

A moment later, it is not a cub but Loke who is on all fours, towering over me, his bright eyes boring into mine, a grin on his face.

"I am the king of beast!" He says, as though he is giving me a lecture. "Beautiful, magnificent-"

"Adorable." I add.

He scoffs.

"_Not_ adorable! I can't help that little… transformation. It's a side effect of that form because I rushed the training."

I feel bad hearing this.

"I'm so sorry. If it weren't for me-"

"Don't apologise. We are all happy to serve you, my dearest princess. I will be able have better control over that form over time."

"But I do like seeing you as a cub." I say honestly.

He gets off me, and I feel a little disappointed.

"I am the king of beast! Beautiful, magnificent-"

"Alright, alright, I get the point. Now go back to camp and wake the others. I've got to wash up."

He perks up at this.

"And no! You are absolutely not cleaning me! Go check on Gray! Go, Loke! Master Lucy's order!"

He bows low in a way that would make girls swoon.

"As you wish, master." He says smoothly, and disappears in a blaze of golden light.

Oh Loke, what am I to do with you and your cute-ness?

* * *

**Hope you like this little special chapter I've written just to thank you guys for the amazing response to chapter 1! **

**I have to tell you, though, that I'll be a little busy so chapter 3 may only be up in 2 or 3 days times. **

**As usual, reviews are encouraging and empowering haha! And if you don't mind, I would like to shameless promote my dramione story here: His Wedding. You can just click on my username and find it! I just **_**had**_** to write something a little more cliché and it's a really short 2-chaptered story, so I hope to be able to hear your thoughts about it (if you have the time to read it, of course). **

**Once again, from the depths of my heart, I thank you all for your reviews and for favouriting this story! This story is now my priority, and I will continue to try my best for it. I hope to add a little action and to pick up the pace of the story in the next chapter. **

**I would really like to know what you think about the chapter length. I normally write about 2000+ words per chapter, but the average for this story has turned out to be near 4000 words. Do you want me to shorten, lengthen or sustain the chapter lengths? **

**And finally, please review! But as usual, I'd like to say, only review if you think this story is worth a review. Thank you! **


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